


Need You

by AstroNella



Series: Need You With Me [1]
Category: Red Dwarf (UK TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-27 00:15:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21109535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroNella/pseuds/AstroNella
Summary: Lister has been looking forward all day to Rimmer coming home from work.





	Need You

**Author's Note:**

> Lister/Rimmer established relationship. This fic could've gone on longer, but I think what happens next is better as a separate story, so there may be a sequel at some point.

It was just after 6pm, ship time, as Lister finished straightening the bedding. He wanted the room to look good, to look neat and tidy, as good as if Kryten had attended to it himself. That was the one rule they had about the bedroom since it became their bedroom – it was off limits to everyone but themselves, even for Kryten and his cleaning schedule. Converted from the quarters next to theirs, with a vast double bed and a vast TV screen, it had become their sanctuary since his and Rimmer's quarters, with the bunk and the console table, had morphed into a general hang-out area for the crew. 

Lister was keen to get the place clean and tidy for Rimmer's return. Rimmer had been working in the landing bay, finishing off some routine maintenance on the lights and electronics with Kryten, while Lister and the Cat had been repairing the cinema screen (at least, Lister had been repairing the cinema screen, while the Cat snoozed on the newly-refurbished seating). Consequently, it had been a busy undramatic day which had become increasingly stressful for Lister. He was glad to finish his repairs early, and he left the Cat snoozing on the back row of the cinema and headed home. 

Lister heard footsteps in their quarters and walked in from the bedroom to find his lover had returned. They kissed, and Rimmer hit the keypad to close and lock the door. 

“Nice day at work?” Lister grinned at him.

“Nice to be over. I think we finished everything, all the lights should come on properly now. How about you?”

“Not bad, once I realised the Cat had no intention of helping at all and just went to sleep instead of criticising. He's probably still there now. Where's Kryten?”

“Cleaning the food storage corridors. He's been looking forward to it all day.”

“Good. We shouldn't be disturbed then.”

“Why, what had you got in mind Listy?” Rimmer grinned and raised his eyebrows. 

Lister snaked his arms round Rimmer's waist. “Just a bit of relaxation, I thought. I've missed you, I couldn't stop thinking about you.”

“It's only been a few hours, Listy. No different to any other maintenance day.”

“I know, but I did miss you.” Lister reached up to pull Rimmer into another kiss, as Rimmer put his arms round Lister. Lister suddenly broke the kiss, resting his head against Rimmer's chest and pulling Rimmer into a tight hug. Rimmer sighed happily. They stayed in this position for a short while, as Rimmer dotted kisses lightly on Lister's hair. 

“I need you, Arn,” Lister said suddenly. He turned and spoke in a low voice near to Rimmer's ear. “I need you. Tonight, now.”

Rimmer's stomach fluttered. He pulled away from the hug to look at his lover. Expecting to see a lustful fire in his eyes, he wasn't disappointed – but was there more? There was something there he couldn't put into words. It was as if he was looking straight into Lister's soul. 

*

The truth was, Lister had been feeling uneasy all day. That morning, when they went their separate ways after breakfast, he watched his lover walk down the main corridor with a pang in his heart. He knew he'd see him again that evening (or at lunchtime, if they were lucky) and that Rimmer was looking forward to them spending time together just as much as he was, but he felt as if Rimmer had just departed on a month-long extravehicular mission without him. He'd headed to the cinema with a heavy sigh, his face flushed.

He never got enough time simply to enjoy his lover's company. Living on a beat-up spaceship that required increasing amounts of repair and maintenance just to keep going meant there was precious little downtime, so quiet evenings in had become something that Lister looked forward to. Luckily, they had managed to meet at lunchtime that day, albeit briefly and with Kryten fussing round, trying to give Lister a demo of the new lights in the landing circle. Lister had made his excuses and left, hoping to get back to his repair task so he could finish it in good time. Again, he had found himself reluctant to leave Rimmer's company, and they parted with a squeeze of hands and long gazes into each other's faces. 

Lister had finished work early, as he'd hoped, returning to their quarters to clean up and straighten the room up. He'd almost finished when he realised he had butterflies in his stomach. This puzzled him – why should he be nervous about spending time with Rimmer? It wasn't as if they had anything planned that they'd not done before, not like the early days of their relationship when they made whispered arrangements to meet in some far-off anonymous crew quarters with a reasonably serviceable mattress and a lockable door. He tried to ignore the nerves and sat down on the bed, as images of Rimmer came into his mind – his smile, his kiss, his touch. He heard Rimmer's footsteps coming into the main room and went to greet him. 

*

“Is everything OK, Listy?” Rimmer asked. He'd been looking forward to this moment all day, and he hoped Lister had too. 

“Pretty good, I'd say. Though I think it could be better.” Lister grabbed Rimmer back into a clinch and rocked his hips against him. Half-hard already, Lister was certain he wouldn't last long once they hit the sheets. 

Rimmer felt the heat rise in his groin as Lister rocked against him. His arms around Lister, he kissed him deeply, tongues exploring, breaths coming more harshly. He let his hands wander down to fondle Lister's buttocks, pulling them towards him as Lister's hips canted forwards. 

“Wait, not here,” Lister stalled him. “We'll be finished before we've started. Into the bedroom.”

Lister led Rimmer by the hand into their bedroom, Rimmer closing the door behind them. When he turned back to face the room, Lister was already laying across the bed, having kicked his boots and socks off and pushed the duvet roughly to one side. He looked up at Rimmer, meeting his lascivious grin with a wider one of his own. The tent in Lister's trousers was now unmistakeable. 

Rimmer lay down next to his lover, placing a chase kiss on his cheek. Lister laughed, throwing his head back. The ache in his groin was growing. 

“Come on Arn, you can do better than that.”

Rimmer pulled Lister's T-shirt free of the waistband of his trousers, tracing his fingers across Lister's stomach. Lister closed his eyes and stifled a moan as Rimmer replaced his fingertips with his mouth, dotting kisses and soft-rough licks across Lister's skin. 

It was almost too much for Lister, too soon. He sat up, pulling his T-shirt off over his head, which he cast to the floor. “Come on man, I'm not going to last long. Come here.”

Rimmer projected his clothes away and pulled the duvet over them both. His own erection was throbbing as, between them, they pulled Lister's trousers off and threw them to the floor. Thankfully Lister's current penchant for going commando saved them from further delays as Rimmer lay on top of Lister, thrusting his own erection against his lover's. 

Lister pulled Rimmer down close onto him, needing to feel his flesh against his own, feel the flutter of Rimmer's lightbee against his heart. He ran his hands along Rimmer's back and down over the curve of his arse, down to the backs of his thighs. Rimmer's hardlight skin felt just like real human skin, without the imperfections most living humans had. Lister couldn't get enough of the feel of Rimmer's naked body under his hands. He wanted to trace every square millimetre of skin with his fingers, feel its softness, its smoothness, the way it traced the contours of his ribcage and collarbones, everything, everywhere.

Rimmer's thrusting became harder and heavier, and one more ghosting of Lister's hands down his thighs sent him over the edge with a staccato cry. Lister felt he should be close after, surely – he must be harder than he'd ever remembered being, so the finishing line must be nearby – but even once Rimmer's head stopped spinning and he dipped his head to kiss Lister passionately, he noticed he was no further along. He'd been so sure this would be quick, what was happening to him? 

Rimmer's own orgasm had been sharp and quick, and sent his head into a whirl. Once he regained his senses, he kissed Lister, assured in his mind that this would be all Lister needed to come. Once he registered that this wasn't having the desired effect, Rimmer knew to act quickly. Sinking back under the duvet, he enveloped Lister's cock with his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head. Thankfully this had the desired effect, and Lister came hard, Rimmer swallowing down as well as he could. 

Rimmer moved back up from the duvet, fully intending to kiss Lister more, to hold him in his arms. However, Lister had ducked out of bed to grab a washcloth to clean them both up first. After Lister returned to the bathroom, Rimmer noticed he'd been gone a while, yet the door was still ajar and the light was off. He went to investigate, and found Lister leaning on the washbasin, shoulders slumped. 

Rimmer wrapped his arms round Lister and kissed him behind his ear. Lister looked up at their joint reflection in the mirror, lit on one side by the light from the bedroom. He grasped Rimmer's hands and looked down. They stood together in silence for a while, until Rimmer spoke. 

“Coming back to bed?”

“Yeah.” Lister smiled briefly, but didn't move. “Sorry, man.”

“For what? Come on, Listy, we're getting cold out here.”

“That could've been.... it wasn't what I thought would happen.”

“What's wrong, Listy? I thought earlier you'd got something on your mind. Want to talk?”

“I don't know. I don't know what it is. It's not you. I love you, Arn. I don't know what's wrong.”

“I love you too, Listy, but I'm getting cold here. Let's go back to bed.”

They moved back to the bedroom and into bed, Rimmer switching the light off as they went. Rimmer pulled the duvet over them both as Lister wrapped his arms around him, grasping him tightly. 

“Warmer now, Arn?” 

“Much warmer.” A pause. “If you need to talk, you know you can talk to me any time.”

“Thanks Arn. I just need you here right now. I need to hold you.”

Rimmer wrapped his arms round Lister, trying to figure out what might be upsetting him. Maybe they just needed to spend more time together, he wondered. Perhaps there are some upcoming repairs they could do together. It would hardly be the same as an evening of hot sex and a night in each other's arms, but they could talk there and then if Lister was ready. Kissing a sleepy Lister on the temple, he vowed to himself that he'd be there for Lister, whenever and however he needed him.


End file.
